FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that he "is not yet certain that the 2026 World Cup finals would feature 40 teams even though he personally favors an expanded tournament," according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. Infantino also said he would be happy for several countries to share the hosting of the World Cup, describing it as much a "social event for the whole world" as a global sporting competition.
Infantino "made a 40-team World Cup a key part of his campaign before his election in February but admitted it was not entirely up to him to decide whether the 2026 finals should be increased from the tournament's current 32-team format." He said, "My opinion has not changed on the 40 teams, but that's my opinion. We will have to discuss it and see what's the best for football." FIFA "expects to make decisions by October on the number of teams, the format for the tournament and the continents that will be eligible to stage the tournament" (REUTERS, 9/6). The AP reported Infantino’s comments on Tuesday show that FIFA "will consider co-hosting" by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Asked about a potential U.S.-Canada-Mexico project for '26, the former UEFA general secretary said that "his previous organisation chose to hold the 2020 European Championship in 13 different host nations." He said, "So, there is, I would say, no limit to whatever is good for football" (AP, 9/6).
